Latch mechanism for emergency-doors.



A. ARENS & E. L. THIGH.

LATCH MECHANISM FOR EMERGENUYDOORS.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO.16, 1909.

958,358., Patented May 17,1910

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. ARENS & E. L. THIGH. LATCH MECHA ISM FOR EMEEGENUY DOORS. APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 16, 1909. 958 353,, Y Patented May 17, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. ARENS & E. L. THIGH. LATCH MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1909.

958,353., Patented May 17,1910.

3 SHEETFr-SHEET 3.

ANDREW a GRAHAM co. Fnow-umocmmiwa WASHINGTON. D. c-

UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST ARENS AND ERNEST L. TEICI-I, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO P. 8: F. CORBIN, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

LATCH MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY-DOORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUGUST ARENS and ERNEST L. TEIoH, citizens of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have 111- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Latch Mechanism for Emergency-Doors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to latch mechanlsm and particularly to bolts adapted to emer gency door exits, such'bolts being commonly termed panic door bolts.

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve the construction whereby in the event of a panic, and occasion for hasty exit, pressure toward the door from the inside will operate to release the latch mechanism so that the door may freely swing open.

Our invention oomprehends a number of improvements which will later be more fully explained.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the latch bolt end of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, showing a part of a door and door casing. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the latch bolt operating apparatus. Fig. t is a front elevation of a mounting for part of the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is in the main a longitudinal sectional view showing the latch bolt and certain related parts in elevation. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the latch bolt. Fig. 7 is a section on the line wa2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is in the main a horizontal sectional view of the operating mechanism, certain parts, however, being shown in elevation. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the lower end of one of the operatin rods. Fig. 10 is a view of the lower end of said rod.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration the latch bolt is shown to be of the so-called Oremorne type in which a bolt is provided at the upper and lower edge of the door, each bolt being suitably connected with an operating member readily accessible by the one who is to operate the door, said bolts co-acting with the upper and lower parts of the door casing to hold the door closed. In the drawings we have shown only one latch bolt, viz., the one for the upper edge of the door, it being sufficient to explain that the bolt for the lower edge of the door may be understood to be of corresponding construction.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 16, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Serial No. 533,342.

ings, the opposite sides of the upper end of.

said latch bolt taper toward each other to form the two side inclines 1 1 or repressing walls. The inner side of the latch bolt (toward the door) is rounded to provide a curved and tapered surface 1 corresponding in general outline to one-half of a cone, the same being provided to also act as a repressing wall.

1 is an abrupt holding wall.

3 is a sleeve having an angular longitudinal passage arranged to slidably receive the angular tail 1 of the latch bolt. The sleeve 3 is mounted within the housing 2 and preferably has a bearing therein whereby said sleeve may be rotated. Between the sleeve 3 and the rear end of the main body 1 of the latch bolt is located an expansion spring 4 for projecting the latch bolt outwardly.

5 is a rod having an angular upper end 5 arranged to enter the lower end of the housing and take into the angular passage in the sleeve 3.

5 is a bearing flange on the rod 5 arranged to rest against the end of the housing 2*.

6 is an operating lever mounted in a bracket 7 and arranged to swing upon an axis concentric with the rod 5. It matters not how the operating lever 6 is mounted or supported in the bracket 7 so far as involves the broad idea of this invention but, in the preferred form, this operating lever 6 has a hub 6 which has a bearing in two offsets 7 7 of the bracket 7. Each of these offsets has a passage through which the rods 55 pass (the rod 5 being de-iof the hub. The rods 5 5 are also preferably provided with bearing flanges 55 respectively, w iich rest upon said offsets.

The guide 2 and bracket 7 may be secured to the door by any suitable means, such as the usual wood screws.

8 is a bar arranged to extend across the inner side of a door in a substantially horizontal plane, one end of the bar being pivotally connected to the operating lever G, as shown, the opposite end being connected to a bracket 9 by a link 10. This cross bar 8 is preferably employed and is preferably mounted in the manner shown so that if any pressure brou ht against the outer side of the door, said rod is bound to be influenced by said pressure as later described.

The normal position of the operating lever 6 is shown in the drawings, the angle at which said lever stands being such as to avoid a dead center whereby pressure applied directly toward the door against the rod 8 will cause said lever to rotate in a direction to turn the hub 6 and with it the rod 5 and bolt head 1.

11 represents the strike plate and keeper which is designed to be carried by the door casing and to be engaged by the projecting outer end of the bolt. Assuming the door stands ajar with the bolt projected and standing in the position shown in Fig. 5, if the door is moved in a direction to close the same, some part of the semi-conical incline 1 will engage the outside end of the strike plate whereby said bolt will be forced back into guide 2 sufficiently to permit the door to be fully closed, whereupon said bolt will be projected so as to stand behind the inner end of the strike plate so as to hold the door closed, the abrupt square wall of said bolt (opposite the semi-conical portion) at such time standing against said strike plate so that the door cannot be under such circumstances pulled or forced open (see Fig.

In the present instance, the lock being applied to emergency exit doors only, it is unnecessary to describe means for operating the bolt excepting from the inner side of the door, the mechanism heretofore outlined being appropriate for that purpose. If occasion arises demanding the use of the door for exit purposes the person or persons desiring to pass out through said door simply swing the operating lever 6 for example, by pressing against the cross rod 8. This swinging or the lever rotates the bolt 1 substantially a quarter of a turn. This partial rotation will present to the inner end of the strike plate one or the other of the side inclines 1 1. In the particular arrangement shown in the drawings, this movement will present the incline 1". When this incline is presented to the strike plate, pressure against the door will cause the bolt 1 to be forced back into the guide 2 against the influence of spring at and the door will thereupon freely open. Any suitable means may be provided to restore the parts to their normal position. In the particular form shown, 1:2 is a spring for that purpose, the

same being located within the housing, 9f and being coiled around the sleeve 3, one end being anchored to said housing, the other being connected to said sleeve.

6 is a stop on the operating lever to check the lever on its return movement and hold it in the desired position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that practically all tendency to bind or hang is eliminated and that the withdrawing of the bolt is in a sense automatic, the parts being so constructed that, when shifted to acertain position, mere pressure against the door from the inside will cause the bolt to be repressed by the strike plate. By this arrangement, even though very heavy pressure is brought to bear against the inner side of the door, still the bolt may be turned with the greatest case from its holding position to its free position in which position the door will. be instant-1y released to be swung outwardly by the aforesaid pressure. Since the bolt is turned with but very little efiort under all conditions, it follows that wear and danger of breakage is minimized.

What we claim is:

1. In a latch mechanism for doors, a latch bolt, a guide therefor, said bolt being arranged to both oscillate and slide in said guide, a yielding projecting means for said bolt, said bolt having its outer end formed on its side, and at substantially right angles, with an inclined repressing wall and a straight holding wall, and manually operable means for imparting an oscillating movement to said bolt without shifting the same longitudinally, whereby one or the other of said walls may be brought into position for engagement with part of a door casing by approximately a quarter turn of said bolt.

2. In a latch mechanism for doors, a bolt, a support therefor, said bolt being arranged to both oscillate and slide in said support, yielding means for normally holding said bolt projected, the outer end of said bolt having two oppositely arranged side inclines, a semi-conical surface connecting both inclines at one side of the bolt and a into position for engagement with part of adoor casing by approximately a quarter of a turn of said bolt.

3. In a latch mechanism for doors, a latch bolt having at its outer end an inclined repressing wall and also an abrupt holding wall, a support and guide for said bolt in which said bolt is arranged to both slide and oscillate, means for yieldingly holding said bolt normally extended relatively to said bolt support, and manually operable means for presenting at will relatively to one surface of the door either the inclined repressing wall of the bolt or the abrupt holding wall of the bolt without exerting thereon longitudinal pressure, said means being operatively connected with said bolt by a rotatable sleeve.

4:. In a latch mechanism for doors, a round bodied bolt, the outer end of said bolt having an inclined repressing wall and an abrupt holding wall, a guide or support for the bolt including a fixed part and a rotatable sleeve, in which said bolt may slide said sleeve being mounted in said fixed part to oscillate, means for yieldingly holding said bolt projected, an oscillating operating device for manual operation, a connection between said oscillating operating device and said latch bolt, whereby said parts are connected for oscillation only by the movement of said operating device.

AUGUST ARENS. ERNEST L. TEIGH.

Witnesses:

G. ERNEST Roo'r, WM. V. CALLIN. 

